This is the date chapter. Let's see how it goes ;)
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Note: Possible meaning of the flowers used is at the end :) Let me know how you feel about flowers on first dates.
Date is set in early June.
Chapter 7
A few days before the date
Hello, is this Loki's number correct? This is Isabella -IB Sent: 11:43 AM
Yes, this is he. Who is this? -LO Sent: 11:45 AM
I apologize, social common courtesy requires me to say hello in return, so hello to you too Sent: 11:45
What are your thoughts about going to a movie tomorrow night? Sent: 11:46
Thank you for recognizing common courtesy; I was just about to comment ;) -IB Sent: 11:47
I wouldn't mind going to a movie, and I've been told the winky face is used as a flirting mechanism. Sent: 11:48
;) Sent: 11:48
And who told you that? -LO Sent: 11:49
Besides, I would not flirt with a winky face Sent: 11:50
I cannot reveal my sources. So you would flirt in a different way then? I feel honored- IB Sent: 11:51
... What makes you think I'm not flirting now?- LO Sent: 11:52
Oh ho, not even past the first date and you're already trying to make me blush.- IB Sent: 11:53
Haha, that's cute :) I've got to get back to work, but I'll see you tomorrow morning right? I live at 221B Winston Street, and if you want to, I'll meet you in the lobby Sent: 11:54
No, I'll go up to your apartment.- LO Sent: 11:55
Would that be fine, or would you prefer me to wait in the lobby? Sent: 11:56
You can come up to my apartment, I don't mind. Thank you for asking for my opinion.- IB Sent: 11:57
Of course, I don't want to make you uncomfortable, you are a lady after all.- LO Sent: 11:58
Now you're the one making me blush... I'll see you on tomorrow then. Have a nice day :)- IB Sent: 11:59
I'll see you tomorrow as well and may you have a wonderful day- LO Sent: 12:00
... You too. Thank you.- IB Unsent: 12:01
...
Thursday night, Closing the bakery
"So what are you wearing on your date with Mr. Sexy Mechanic?" Samantha asks excitedly, bouncing around as the last employee leaves and the two girls are left to clean up the bakery.
"Clothes." Isabella responds a bit sarcastically, shrugging as she puts the carefully wrapped dough for the pies, loaves of bread, and cakes into the fridge.
"Well I would hope so." Samantha says, rolling her eyes.
Isabella just smirks in response, glad to be on the opposite side of the teasing for once.
"Isa, you can't just wear clothes! You have to look nice so he'll try to see past the bravado." Samantha explains, shaking her friend gently. "I'm worried about you, especially after what happened with Cooper and Magnus.."
"Samantha, Cooper's gone and he won't come back or ever be a part of my life again. You and Bobby assured that." Isa says as she puts the bowl she was putting up down on the counter with a slight slam, her hands shaking. "It's about time that I moved on from him and what he did, and if Loki does not turn out to be my "one and only", at least I got to re-experience what it's like to be treated to a dinner or-or a movie."
"You are so strong, friend." Samantha says, hugging her tearing up friend. "I'm sure you'll look amazing, even with that hideous boot."
Isabella gives a watery chuckle, hugging her friend in return. "Are you joking, it really brings the attention to my eyes."
The two girls are finishing cleaning up when Isa says softly, "He called me a lady, you know. The other day when we were finalizing the plans. I text him and he... He thinks I'm a lady."
"You are Isa, you are a lady through and through. Sometimes a little cold, but with everything you've gone through, I understand it. Despite not agreeing with it." Samantha says with her compassion showing plainly on her face.
"You're a much nicer person though; I am just not good with coping." Isabella says, shrugging off the mention of her past. "I'm just so lucky to have you as my friend."
"Me too," Samantha says, then grabs her hand and prepares to drag her to Isabella's car, "Now let's go and see what you have for your hot date Friday!"
...
Friday night
Loki arrives at the apartment complex on Winston street. Nervously, he adjusts the collar of his dark blue button down shirt and smoothes down imaginary wrinkles. He grabs the bunch of flowers he brought for his date; a bronze chrysanthemum, two daisies, a forget-me-not, and two gardenias.
He buzzes into the building and walks up the five flights of stairs to the door. Knocking softly three times, he waits, trying to still the nervousness building up.
Isabella is putting the finishing touches on her hair when she hears the knocks. Patting it to make sure everything is okay, she is quick to hurry as much as she can with her boot out of her room.
Answering the door, Shadow close by just in case, she smiles when she sees Loki there.
When Isabella comes into view after opening the door, Loki's nerves skyrocket when he sees Isa in a bright sheer orange top with a white camisole underneath, her curly brown hair fixed into a messy bun with two curls trailing down the side of her face, highlighting her elegant facial structure...
Wow, he looks great in those jeans, she thinks to herself as she looks him up and down in a cursory glance, And he brought pretty flowers, not roses. That's so nice and so different from what Cooper does. Had done.
Upon further inspection, the flowers are flowers that send an honest and non-aggressive message. She looks at Loki with a raised eyebrow, a look of slight amusement on her face. "A bouquet of oddly bunched flowers?"
"Do you like them?" He asks, nerves tied further into knots, wanting to make sure that she won't regret going out with him.
When she quirks an eyebrow in response, (but not after he noticed her look him up and down appreciatively), and asks why he got the flowers, he replies, giving them to her, "Because I noticed you like to have a couple in every other table in your bakery. These seem to be around a little more. but not as often as the anemone."
She looks down at the flowers and touches them softly, looking up at him from under her eyelashes for a moment before saying softly, "Just let me put these away, you can come in if you want."
Loki nods and walks into the immaculate apartment, noting the few pictures of family or friends, as well as the piles or messes that a busy businesswoman might have.
"It's so neat in here." He comments, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Yes, I moved in about a year and a half ago."
"For such a big town, you seem to know a lot of people." He comments idly, remembering how many people seem to know so much about her when they heard he was going out with Isabella.
Some gave him advice when they came to pick up their cars, at the grocery store, even on the street as he walked to the Winchester's home from purchasing the flowers.
It made him wonder exactly how fast news spread around this smallish town.
As he looks around the apartment, he notices with a slight jump the exotic cat from the mechanics shop resting on the couch and staring at him with unblinking, glowing green eyes.
Unsure of what to do, he just stares back, trying to seem as unaggressive as possible without being a total wimp. Coming back from putting her flowers into a vase, she notices the stare-down and chuckles slightly, walking over to him and taking hold of his arm so she can drag him away from her panther.
"She's not going to attack you unless you attack me. " She says with a soft chuckle, dragging him softly to the door, saying goodbye to Shadow. Once she closes the door, Loki offers her his arm again. She accepts it, leaning on him as they walk down the flights of stairs.
He walks over to the side of the truck, the step a bit higher than Isa can manage without help.
Noticing her hesitation, Loki asks if he can help her up. She nods, expecting him to give her a hand...
... Instead, he picks her up bridal-style and sets her gently on the seat, mindful of her booted leg.
She squeaks softly, her face turning a deep red at the way his strong arms effortlessly lift her into the truck. He may not look like much, but he sure has some muscle on him.
Climbing into the driver's seat, he buckles himself up and starts the truck. Turning off the hard rock playing on the radio, he asks her, "Which movie would you like to see?"
"You mean you haven't picked it out yet?" She teases, her tone slightly cold although she didn't mean to have it sound that way. She looks down at her lap, interlocking her fingers tightly.
Loki, taken aback by her tone, glances over at her and upon seeing her withdrawn and remorseful posture, realizes she didn't mean to sound so cold. He then says quite seriously in return, "I wanted to make sure you wouldn't pick a scary movie as I am the biggest scaredy cat around."
"Are you really?" She asks, looking up from her interlocked hands, greatly relieved he was able to understand her intentions weren't to insult him. "I would have never figured. I always thought that you would be the kind to laugh or yawn at those movies."
He shakes his head, "I curl up into a ball and pray for the end, jumping at every noise too."
She giggles at the image, her laughter prompting Loki to smile and say, "But you'll protect me, right?'
She shakes her head as she laughs harder, "Every man for himself!"
"What? But, why? After everything we've been through? I feel betrayed."
She bursts out laughing at his incredulous and downtrodden tone, Loki joining in after a moment of enjoying her laughter.
After calming down, she says softly, "I'd like to see Bad Teacher."
Loki thinks about it and nods. "I heard about that movie when Charlie forced Dean to look up movies with her on one of our Friday movie nights. It was quite amusing."
"So you were supposed to be with them tonight?" Isabella asks, her brow furrowing in concern that she is keeping him from his friends.
"Yes, but don't worry about it. Ever since they offered to give me a place to stay, we get together with a few of their friends every Friday and they all tease me constantly every time. I would rather be with a beautiful woman like you instead. They didn't mind, probably because you give them free pie sometimes."
She looks down with a soft smile and nods, responding, "I'd be with Shadow watching terrible television. She is very picky as to what horrible show we watch though, so we usually watch the Kardashians or any of the Real Housewives."
He nods, parking in a spot close to the entrance of the movie theater, lifting her out again and carefully setting her on the ground. She thanks him softly, her cheeks now pink, and walks to the box office with him. He pays for two tickets and they go into the theater.
They ignore the group of teenage girls whispering to each other as they walk by, though Isabella is extremely discomforted by what some of them say.
"I heard she had to offer him free pie for a month to go out with her..."
"I heard she's also with the guy who delivers the ingredients for her bread..."
"Oh yeah, I don't doubt she has a bun in her oven what with how often she bakes.."
Isabella asks, quickly turning to Loki with her cheeks red with anger and hurt, "Would you like for me to pay for popcorn and soda? You paid for the tickets, so I can pay for the snacks if you want.."
"I've got it." He says, waving her offer away, "I'm taking you out, so I should pay for the food. Besides, you always send home some of your "experiments", which are delicious except for the rhubarb, that was gross."
Isabella nods in agreement, wrinkling her nose in agreement as the talking continues to get worse. He notices her growing anger and leans down to say quietly, "It looks like it's a full house, why don't you try and get us good seats."
She smiles gratefully and walks to the theater, passing by the teenage girls talking about her. They immediately go quiet, then resume when she enters the theater room, giggling mindlessly.
Isabella finds them seats midway in the row and in perfect view of all the screen has to offer. Loki joins her a few seconds later and hands her her drink and food, smiling a little to let her know that he heard the girls too. She looks down at her drink, her jaw working as she shifts in her seat. He nudges her with his shoulder gently, smiling at her when she looks up.
She returns it and relaxes, leaning back into her seat and preparing to watch the movie, scooting a little closer to Loki. He grins and leans back as the movie begins.
They spend the movie laughing and end up sitting a little closer than strictly necessary, but neither minding very much.
After the movie, Loki drives her back to her apartment and walks up to the door with her. After an awkward moment, she kisses his cheek hurriedly before rushing inside and closing the door softly. He stands there for a couple moments before smiling widely and leaving.
All in all, both thought the evening turned out to be a quite successful date.
Flower meanings:
Bronze Chrysanthemum: Excitement
Daisies: Innocence
Forget-Me-Not: In the name; remember me forever
Gardenia: Joy
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